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40 Classic Football Movies Every NFL Fan Should Watch Before the 2026 Season

40 Classic Football Movies Every NFL Fan Should Watch Before the 2026 Season

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40 Classic Football Movies Every NFL Fan Should Watch Before the 2026 Season

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

40. Wildcats (1986)

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

39. Necessary Roughness (1991)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

38. Everybody’s All-American (1988)

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

37. The Longshots (2008)

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

36. The Longest Yard (2005)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

35. All the Right Moves (1983)

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

34. The Game Plan (2007)

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

33. When the Game Stands Tall (2014)

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

32. Little Giants (1994)

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

31. The Waterboy (1998)

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

30. Facing the Giants (2006)

Courtesy of Destination Films

29. Semi-Tough (1977)

Courtesy of United Artists

28. The Replacements (2000)

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

27. Varsity Blues (1999)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

26. Radio (2003)

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

25. The Last Boy Scout (1991)

Courtesy of Geffen Pictures

24. The Program (1993)

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

23. Draft Day (2014)

Courtesy of Lionsgate

22. Any Given Sunday (1999)

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

21. Gridiron Gang (2006)

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

20. School Ties (1992)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

19. We Are Marshall (2006)

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

18. Black Sunday (1977)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

17. Concussion (2015)

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

16. 80 for Brady (2023)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

15. The Express (2008)

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

14. Lucas (1986)

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

13. Invincible (2006)

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

12. Woodlawn (2015)

Courtesy of Pure Flix Entertainment

11. North Dallas Forty (1979)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

10. Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

9. The Longest Yard (1974)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

8. Greater (2016)

Courtesy of Hammond Entertainment

7. The Blind Side (2009)

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

6. Jerry Maguire (1996)

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

5. Friday Night Lights (2004)

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

4. Rudy (1993)

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

3. Remember the Titans (2000)

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

2. The Freshman (1925)

Courtesy of Pathé Exchange

1. Horse Feathers (1932)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

40 Classic Football Movies Every NFL Fan Should Watch Before the 2026 Season
40. Wildcats (1986)
39. Necessary Roughness (1991)
38. Everybody’s All-American (1988)
37. The Longshots (2008)
36. The Longest Yard (2005)
35. All the Right Moves (1983)
34. The Game Plan (2007)
33. When the Game Stands Tall (2014)
32. Little Giants (1994)
31. The Waterboy (1998)
30. Facing the Giants (2006)
29. Semi-Tough (1977)
28. The Replacements (2000)
27. Varsity Blues (1999)
26. Radio (2003)
25. The Last Boy Scout (1991)
24. The Program (1993)
23. Draft Day (2014)
22. Any Given Sunday (1999)
21. Gridiron Gang (2006)
20. School Ties (1992)
19. We Are Marshall (2006)
18. Black Sunday (1977)
17. Concussion (2015)
16. 80 for Brady (2023)
15. The Express (2008)
14. Lucas (1986)
13. Invincible (2006)
12. Woodlawn (2015)
11. North Dallas Forty (1979)
10. Heaven Can Wait (1978)
9. The Longest Yard (1974)
8. Greater (2016)
7. The Blind Side (2009)
6. Jerry Maguire (1996)
5. Friday Night Lights (2004)
4. Rudy (1993)
3. Remember the Titans (2000)
2. The Freshman (1925)
1. Horse Feathers (1932)

40 Classic Football Movies Every NFL Fan Should Watch Before the 2026 Season

Football is officially back, and if preseason games already have you counting down to Sundays this fall, there are plenty of ways to fill the time between kickoffs. Football movies have been capturing the drama, rivalries, underdog stories, locker-room speeches, and unforgettable characters surrounding the game for decades. Some make you want to run through a wall for your team. Others remind you why football became such a huge part of American culture in the first place.

To find the classic football movies most worth revisiting before the 2026 NFL season, 24/7 Tempo created an index using three equally weighted measures: IMDb's average user rating, the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, and the Rotten Tomatoes audience score. Documentaries were excluded to keep the focus on narrative films, while cast information came from IMDb. From inspirational true stories and high-school rivalries to comedies and football movies, generations of fans still quote. These 40 films should help get you ready for another season.

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